MICHAEL JACKSON Michael Jackson is the most successful entertainer of all time. I like Madonna too but the facts are the facts. Madonna is the top selling female recordi…ng artist of all time. Since her debut in 1982, Madonna has released many chart-topping albums and singles, and has sold more than 200 million albums and 50 million singles worldwide (estimations). Madonna is the top-selling female recording artist in the U.S. , that is if we combine both her albums and singles sales. But if you're going to break it down, in the album category, she is second to Barbra Streisand with 63.5 x certified platinum by RIAA while for the singles category, she tops among all female artists. Madonna holds a record artist with (gold and platinum) in the U.S. surpassing The Beatles' record. Madonna has surpassed The Beatles for the most gold certified singles in the US (25) with the release of Hung Up. .
According to RIAA, she has 12 multi-platinum albums (second only to Barbra Streisand). .
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)..Top Selling Female Rock Singer of the Century 1999. .
Madonna also holds five Guiness World Record citations. .
Madonna holds the record for the most top ten singles (37) in the US music history. .
Madonna is also the most successful female artist on the UK charts with 62 top ten hits and 13th Number Ones with "4 Minutes". .
2008 with her Sticky & Sweet Tour becoming the #1 Grossing Tour In History For Solo Artist Ever. .
The Immaculate Collection is the top selling compilation album by a female. .
She is also the most successful artist on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart 39th Number Ones with Give It 2 Me. .
Madonna's 2005 single Hung Up topped charts in a record 45 countries. .
Madonna is recently ranked as the most successful solo artist (second over-all, behind The Beatles) in the latest issue of Billboard magazine listing the Top Hot 100 Artists of All-Time. .
On the United World Chart, Madonna is the "Most Successful Singles Artist of All Time" and has a record of 13 Number One singles. .
World Music Awards Best Selling American Artist with Hard Candy 3.2 million copies sold. .
Japan's Top Digital 08 song 500,000 unit for Miles Away. The Beatles and Elvis have sold 1 billion THIS IS BECAUSE THEIR YEARS OF ELLING HAS BEEN FOR 50 YEARS PLUS. They carried on selling after they stopped performing. Michael Jackson is the most successful recording artist EVER This answer is what is wrong with the internet. Elvis Presley and the Beatles have both sold more than Michael Jackson and Madonna. Therefore, someone biased toward Michael Jackson has posted a flatly incorrect answer, as indicated by the RIAA, the certifying organization. The correct answer is the Beatles for a group and Elvis Presley for an individual singer.

Elvis and the Beatles both have plus a billion sales and Michael Jackson is in third with 750 million with the closest artist having less then 250000 below Michael. However Mi…chael is expected to dwarf both the beatles and Elvis now that he is passed away and is selling more.

Born This Way - Lady Gaga. Within 24 hours of it's release, it debuted by topping all iTunes stores worldwide, became iTunes 1000th #1 single, debuted as #1 on billboard, and …sold over 1 million copies in it's first week.